5 Cosmological Argument Strengths and Weaknesses

The cosmological argument argues that the presence of a God is proven by the existence of the universe. The fact that the universe exists means that somebody must have created it in the first place, and this somebody is most likely God. This argument has been around for a long time; in fact, ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle discussed it and even mentioned it in books.

Over the years, many scholars and intellectuals took up the argument, claiming that “nothing comes from nothing” and that the universe must have been caused by something that wasn’t caused by anything else, i.e. God. The cosmological argument is said to be sound by those who support it. But, to non-supporters, it comes with numerous weaknesses and may therefore be invalid.

Cosmological Argument Strengths

The cosmological argument has several strengths that have attracted many supporters. Here are some of them:

1. It provides a simple explanation.
Many proponents of the cosmological argument point to Occam’s Razor, which states that “entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity” (or, in simpler terms, “the simplest explanation is usually the right one”). If this is to be believed, then it’s logical to accept that God is the creator of the universe is the simplest explanation. Rejecting this idea would require one to come up with a longer and more complicated explanation.

2. It’s based on empirical evidence.
For those who believe in the cosmological argument, the fact that people can see the clouds, feel the breeze, smell the flowers — basically gather information about the universe through their sense — is proof enough that the universe exists.

3. It’s based on logic.
Logic states that things don’t cause themselves to exists; something or someone should bring them into existence. So, since the universe exists, it’s only logical to assume that someone had caused it to exist. This being must have been someone who was omnipotent, eternal, and is absolutely self-sufficient — qualities that can be attributed to God.

Cosmological Argument Weaknesses

Just like any other argument, the cosmological argument also has its own flaws that have prevented many people from believing in it. Some of these weaknesses are:

1. It raises as many problems as solutions.
Those who oppose the cosmological argument point out that it’s useless and that it leaves people nowhere. For them, it all boils down to a piece of logic that proponents of the argument use: “everything has a cause for existence”. So, even if people accept that God is the cause for the existence of the universe, they will still have a mystery to solve: who created God?

2. It contradicts itself.
Those who support the cosmological argument often say that God is an uncaused being; i.e. no one brought him to existence and he existed on his own. However, proponents point out that this contradicts the logic “everything has a cause for existence”. Everything that is existing must have a cause so, if God doesn’t have a cause, he doesn’t exist and therefore couldn’t have had created the universe.

The cosmological arguments have several strengths and weaknesses. Those who don’t know whether they should believe the argument or not will benefit from weighing these factors first before deciding which side to take.